''Paris Model'' is a 1953 American
comedy drama film directed by
Alfred E. Green and starring
Marilyn Maxwell,
Paulette Goddard,
Eva Gabor and
Barbara Lawrence.
[Wojcik p.235] It is an
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically cate ...
featuring four separate parts, each focused on one of the four actresses. It was distributed by
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
. The film's sets were designed by the
art director William Glasgow.
Plot
A new dress plays a key role in the lives of four women who are not acquainted with each other. A daring strapless design, "Nude at Midnight," is unveiled in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
to the delight of socialite Gogo Montaine, who wants to dazzle the Maharajah of Kim-Kepore, her escort that night. She charges its $900 cost to a former lover, Louis-Jean, who turns up later and refuses to pay. The Raj begins paying more attention to the gambling tables, so Gogo uses her dress and charms to get back into Louis-Jean's good graces.
A buyer from
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
has an underling copy the Paris dress's design and quickly manufactures a cheaper version of it. Betty Barnes, a secretary, spends $90 on one to impress her boss, attorney Edgar Blevins, hoping to woo him away from Cora, his wife. Cora eavesdrops on her at the dress shop. While her husband is admiring Betty in it, Cora turns up in exactly the same dress, diverting her husband's wandering eyes.
Marion Parmalee wants a promotion for her husband, whose boss P.J. Sullivan is retiring to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
with his wife. At the retirement party, wearing a "Nude at Midnight" dress she bought for $59, Marion flirts with P.J., a bed manufacturer. When they get caught atop a bed together, P. J.'s wife instantly names another man at the party as her husband's successor.
In far-off
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
, a 21st-birthday party and a desire for boyfriend Charlie to propose marriage to her motivate Marta Jensen into buying an eye-catching dress, "Nude at Midnight," a copy of which she finds on sale for $19. They have difficult getting a table at
Michael Romanoff's popular restaurant, frustrating Charlie until he gets an eyeful of Marta in her gown. At a nearby table, also appreciating her beauty in this dress, sits the Maharajah of Kim-Kepore.
Cast
*
Marilyn Maxwell as Marion Parmalee
*
Paulette Goddard as Betty Barnes
*
Eva Gabor as Gogo Montaine
*
Barbara Lawrence as Marta Jensen
*
Cecil Kellaway as Patrick J. 'P.J.' Sullivan
*
Robert Hutton as Charlie Johnson
*
Leif Erickson as Edgar Blevins
*
Tom Conway as Maharajah of Kim-Kepore
*
Michael Romanoff as Prince Romanoff
*
Florence Bates as Mrs. Nora Sullivan
*
El Brendel as Papa Jensen
*
Laurette Luez as Lisa Jones
*
Robert Bice as Jack Parmalee
* Aram Katcher as Louis-Jean Vacheron
*
Gloria Christian
Gloria Christian (born 24 June 1934) is an Italian Canzone Napoletana singer, mainly successful between the second half of the 1950s and the 1960s.
Life and career
Born in Bologna, the daughter of a Neapoletan trumpeter and of a Venetian mother, ...
as Cora Blevins
*
Byron Foulger as Ernest Boggs
* Bibs Borman as Berta Courtallez
* Renny McEvoy as Johnny Granville
*
Eugene Borden as Armand - Headwaiter
*
Gloria Pall
Gloria Pall (born Gloria Pallatz; July 15, 1927 – December 30, 2012) was an American model, showgirl, actress, author and businesswoman.
Biography
Gloria Pallatz was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1927. During World War II, she worked as an ...
as Credits Girl
*
Diana Darrin
Diana Darrin (born Harriett B. Tenin; April 15, 1933) is an American actress and singer. She has made over 35 film and television appearances in her career.
Early years
Darrin was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Tenin.
Career
Diana Darrin i ...
as Gambling Patron
References
Bibliography
* Pamela Robertson Wojcik. ''New Constellations: Movie Stars of the 1960s''. Rutgers University Press, 2012.
External links
*
1953 films
1953 comedy-drama films
American comedy-drama films
Films directed by Alfred E. Green
Films scored by Albert Glasser
Columbia Pictures films
American black-and-white films
1950s English-language films
1950s American films
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